TITLE:
Stakeholder and Public Participation in Water Quality Management: Case Study of University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC) Lake
AUTHORS:
Doris Ifeoma Ogueri
KEYWORDS:
Water Quality, Management Approach, Public Perception, Lake Restoration, Stakeholders’ Participation, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, UNMC
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.5 No.3,
March
26,
2018
ABSTRACT: Most urban/artificial lakes are created for relaxation, beautification and other recreational purposes. It is a way of bringing nature closer to the urban populace and lakes with better water quality contribute to a higher quality of life. Lake is an identity for all the three University of Nottingham Campuses in UK, China and Malaysia. Beautiful pictures showing the lake with the Trent building are mostly used in all marketing materials such as brochures, online marketing, hand bills and others. Due to its strategic location (entrance) and its major role in the promotion of the school’s image, awareness has been drawn by various stakeholders on the degradation of University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus lake water clarity and quality. In restoring a degraded lake, it is vital to consider the interest of its stakeholders since the lake practically exists because of them. The current way they perceive the lake will help in identifying its problems while their future expectations should be integrated in the restoration measures. This study critically investigates the perception of various stakeholders in the management of the lake. The stakeholders’ current perceptions and future expectations of the lake were identified through questionnaire surveys on visitors and students carried out separately coupled with interviews with some of the top management of the Campus. 70% of the total respondents (40 visitors) strongly agreed while 24% agreed that UNMC Lake enhances the landscape while the remaining 5% were neutral. 162 out of 250 students support the future use of the lake for picnics. Nature reserve and boating are other uses with high levels of responses (148 and 128 respectively). All the findings were integrated to determine the best management approach for the lake.